Two children simply identified as Ahmad (8 years) and Hussainat (10 years) were on Thursday trapped inside rubbles when a dilapidated building in which their parents were occupying collapsed at Ajegunle Street, off Sabo-Line Isale area, Ilorin, Kwara state capital.
The incident involved a two-storey building comprising six flats, Blueprint.ng reports.
But for the timely intervention of emergency responders, the two children were rescued and taken to hospital before the arrival of men of the state fire service.
Blueprint.ng gathered that the caretaker of the collapsed building had previously been notified about the deteriorating condition of the structure prior to the incident.
Following the incident, men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has sealed off the affected structures on the recommendation of the state fire service.
Confirming the incident in a statement on Thursday, the public relations officer, Kwara state fire service, Hassan Adekunle, said men of the service had on Thursday April 9, 2026, at about 09:10hrs, received emergency call reporting a building collapse at Ajegunle Street, off Sabo-Line Isale Area, Ilorin, Kwara state.
However, he said before the arrival of the men of the fire service, the two children had been rescued and taken to hospital.
He narrrated further “upon arrival, firefighters immediately commenced salvage operations, recovering essential belongings including clothes, electronics, food items, and important documents from accessible areas of the building.
“Following an on-site assessment, the Kwara State Fire Service recommended to the Disaster Management Department of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to seal off the collapsed structure and issue a seven-day ultimatum to occupants of an adjacent building found to be structurally unsafe and unfit for habitation.
“The NSCDC Disaster Management team acted promptly and enforced the recommendation.
“It was further gathered that the caretaker of the collapsed building had previously been notified about the deteriorating condition of the structure prior to the incident.”
Adekunle disclosed further that the director of the Kwara State Fire Service, CFS Alabi Muhammed, was personally present at the scene to oversee ongoing operations and ensure effective coordination with relevant agencies.
‘The director advised property owners and residents to carry out regular structural integrity assessments of buildings, heed early warning signs such as cracks and weaknesses, and take immediate action when defects are identified.
“He emphasised that timely intervention can prevent avoidable disasters and save lives,’ he stated.
